Law and Order: SVU is returning with season 28, and now it has been confirmed Mariska Hargitay’s Oliva Benson will be getting a visit from her former partner, Christopher Meloni’s Elliot Stabler. Here’s what we know so far about his return.
Even though Meloni is currently starring in Dan Fogelman’s The Land, that didn’t keep him from rejoining his former co-stars for the 600th episode of the NBC series, as per TVLine. Showrunner Michele Fazekas had previously been tight-lipped about the possibility of his return. However, nothing was confirmed, so the showrunner remained mum.
Season 28 of Law & Order: SVU will include a milestone 600th episode
Fazekas had been a writer on SVU through seasons 3 through 7, so she understood the importance of Stabler’s presence on the show and his relationship with Benson. She said bringing Meloni back was “always on [her] mind," and it depended on Meloni’s availability.
Stabler last appeared in the Season 27 premiere when he came to celebrate the life of his former Captain Don Cragen, who passed away off screen. Stabler had left SVU after 12 seasons before he eventually starred in the spinoff Organized Crime, which ended after its fifth season. Since then, we’ve seen him team up with Benson from time to time, showing there is still a connection between the two.
While not much is known about the 600th episode so far, Fazekas did say it wouldn’t bring back an old case, and since it was likely “the last centennial episode of this whole show,” they want to make sure to do right by the episode.
We do know Season 28 will see Benson exploring feelings of disillusionment with the job and how she deals with this as she continues to work on cases. She will find a confidante in J. Smith-Cameron’s Gwen Sharpe, a jury consultant. Benson turns to talk about her feelings about the job since she can’t vent to her subordinates at work. So, along with the return of her former partner, Season 28 will be a big one for Benson.
Plus, there will be an appearance by Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks in a November episode, so this season will be chock-full of exciting guest stars fans can look forward to.
We will keep you updated as we learn more of what is on the horizon for Season 28 of SVU.
The show returns to NBC on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 10/9c. You can stream previous episodes on Peacock until then.
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